"We Weren’t Left Behind": Delivering Lifesaving Skills Where Needed Most In Ukraine
Posted by Olivia Everett 03rd April 2025 News
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
Volunteer Responders complete high-impact training mission in Eastern Ukraine
In late March, a small team of REACT volunteer Responders completed a high-tempo, week-long deployment across Sumy, Izyum, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kryvyi Rih. These are some of the most volatile and exposed regions of eastern Ukraine. Operating within earshot of artillery fire and under the persistent threat of drones, they trained more than 100 people in critical incident management and emergency first aid.
These weren't ordinary classrooms. In Kherson, the team delivered training in an underground bunker, just two kilometres from the frontline. As artillery shells struck nearby and electricity was cut, the community calmly enacted well-rehearsed safety drills. They moved away from windows, checked Telegram channels for situational awareness, and switched to battery-powered lights so training could continue, not stop.
"it was the first time I had deployed so far forward towards a frontline. Looking into the eyes of the people we were training brought to life the true meaning of being a humanitarian" - Volunteer Responder, Gill Neil
Training Where Others Won’t Go
Across the six cities, REACT trained a diverse cross-section of local society: speech therapists, psychologists, internet engineers, youth group leaders, and even a tram driver. Some had trauma kits but no idea how to use them. Others shared emotional memories of treating casualties during missile strikes, with little more than instinct and conflicting online advice to guide them.
This is exactly where REACT Responders make the biggest difference. Our highly trained teams combine military precision with humanitarian purpose. By showing up in person when others won’t - or can’t - we build trust and strengthen resilience in the hardest to reach, most vulnerable communities.
Practical Skills. Psychological Impact.
At each training’s close, participants received certificates and posed proudly for photographs. In Kryvyi Rih, students even requested selfies with the team. It wasn’t just about learning first aid. It was about connection. About being seen.
"The certificates, photographs and interaction of the students with the REACT training team were a valuable opportunity for the Ukrainian people to feel that they had ‘not been left behind’, and the simple act of being there had psychosocial benefits." - REACT International Operations Manager, Paul Taylor.
Our Mission, In Action
Across a week REACT visited six cities, REACT trained over 100 people, donated hundreds of items of medical equipment, and delivered meaningful psychosocial impact in frontline areas. Volunteers operated with courage, humility, and resolve - embodying REACT’s core value: walk towards danger.
This deployment is proof of what we stand for: rapid humanitarian action, delivered with compassion, to those most in need.
People trained in Frontline Medical Skills
Over 100 tourniquets and hundreds of other medical items donated
crisis-affected cities
In a world saturated with conflicting information, sometimes the most radical act is simply showing up - in person, with purpose.
Our Responders turn uncertainty into action. They replace guesswork with confidence. They don’t just give out kits - they teach people how to use them when it matters most.
"Some carried tourniquets but advised they didn’t feel confident in using them... They felt overwhelmed with piecemeal first aid advice on social media." - Volunteer Responder, Susannah Pencovich
In a world saturated with conflicting information, sometimes the most radical act is simply showing up. Always in person, and always with a clear purpose.
Our Responders turn uncertainty into action. They replace guesswork with confidence. They don’t just give out kits, our Responders teach people how to use them when it matters most.
But none of it happens without our supporters.